First we need to share an update with some of our sad news from the farm this fall. On Friday Nov. 18th we had to have the Vet come today to put down Siobhan and Okra. This was especially sad because Okra is our last sheep that we bought from West Hill Woolies in Wallingford, VT. Our starter flock came from Jeri Harris at West Hill Woolies in 1999. When Jeri decided to sell the rest of her flock in 2001, we went back buy "a few more" sheep. We immediately fell in love with Vinca and knew she would be coming home with us. Jeri said "this is Avocado and she is Vinca's mother, they like to be together". So of course... Avocado came home with us too! Then Jeri said "this is Okra and she stays with VInca and Avocado"... so we added to her the group and brought her home too. Beautiful Okra had a little ram lamb that was born blind. Little Arnold followed Okra with her pretty collar and a bell. They had their own stall, their own pasture with a little shed and Arnold lived to be 7 years old. Siobhan was a twin ewe lamb to one of our origianal ewes Willow. Siobhan was a wild girl and not very friendly, she even bit Todd when she was lambing! Well, it was hard to say good-bye but we knew it was time, they were hurting and as our Vet Steven explains to the children, it is more kind to not let them suffer.

We had another load of 150 bales of first cut hay and 50 bales of second cut hay delivered at the end of November. We should now have enough hay in the barn to get through the winter. The sheep are all moved to where they will be for the winter and chores are easier. The water stopped coming into the cistern for the barn, but Todd and Rowan were able to get it running again.........WHEW!

SO this is another blog from Maybelle Farm. Life is good and everything is working so far. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving day and look forward to Christmas and a good, healthy winter. Maybelle MaMa

Siobhan

Arnold & Okra

Kerri-Jane

Now for some December news. For my birthday on December 5th I decided to purchase a couple of presents for myself! My husband and I went up to Two Grammas Farm in Richmond, VT to pick up Kerri-Jane and Katy-did. Kerri-Jane is a beautiful little black shetland ewe. Katy-did is a beautiful katmoget ewe. I am thrilled with them and they are such sweet little pets. Kerri-Jane's wool is just jet black and I cannot wait for her first shearing so I can spin that beautiful lamb's wool. The extra special thing is that both of these girls are granddaughters to one of our sweet rams that we sold years ago. We are happy to be able to bring back some of our original bloodlines to our breeding stock.

On December 3 our ram lamb Kodie went to live at a nice farm in Columbia, CT. Later this month our handsome gulmoget ram Burdette is going to Kentucky. He is going to travel along with a moorit ram lamb from Kindred Spirit Farm in Sandwich, N.H. We will then be able to get Acer, a moorit ram, from Kindred Spirit Farm in Sandwich,N.H. to come to our farm to breed a few ewes. There is a lot to do to get all of these sheep where they need to go. I hope I can manage to get this all done. Stay tuned for more news. Happy Holidays to everyone. Maybelle Mama